====== Exitar the Exterminator ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity:** **Exitar the Exterminator is a colossal member of the cosmic race known as the [[celestials|Celestials]], serving as their ultimate executioner, tasked with sterilizing or destroying all life on any planet judged unworthy by his superior, [[arishem_the_judge|Arishem the Judge]].**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  *  **Role in the Universe:** Exitar is not a villain in the traditional sense, but a fundamental, terrifying force of nature. He represents the final, non-negotiable consequence of a Celestial Host's judgment, a cosmic failsafe designed to prune evolutionary dead-ends from the universe. His appearance signifies the end of a world.
  *  **Primary Impact:** The most significant impact of Exitar is the sheer scale he introduces to the Marvel Universe. Standing at 20,000 feet tall, his power is so immense that even skyfather-level beings like Odin are dwarfed by his might. His defeat at the hands of the [[apocalypse_twins|Apocalypse Twins]] remains one of the most shocking and consequential events in modern comics, proving that even a god-like Celestial can fall.
  *  **Key Incarnations:** In the primary comic universe ([[earth-616|Earth-616]]), Exitar is an active, physical entity who has visited Earth and been slain in battle. In the [[marvel_cinematic_universe|Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)]], his role is purely conceptual so far; he is mentioned as the designated executioner, but the "Exterminator" function is tied to the Emergence process, where a new Celestial is born from a planet's core, destroying it in the process.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
Exitar the Exterminator first appeared in **//Thor// #387**, published in January 1988. He was co-created by writer **Tom DeFalco** and artist **Ron Frenz**, who had taken over the monumental task of following Walter Simonson's legendary run on the title. To establish their own epic scope, DeFalco and Frenz delved deep into the cosmic lore established by Jack "The King" Kirby, bringing the Celestials back to the forefront of Marvel cosmology.
The creation of Exitar served a crucial narrative purpose: to raise the stakes of the Celestials' judgment on Earth to an unimaginable level. While readers had seen Celestials before, they were primarily depicted as judges and experimenters. Exitar was different. His title—"The Exterminator"—and his staggering size immediately established him as the embodiment of cosmic annihilation. His visual design by Frenz, a towering, dark, and faceless armored being even larger than his Celestial brethren, perfectly captured this sense of impending doom. He was the ultimate final boss, a walking extinction event whose very presence signified that all negotiation and debate were over.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
The origin of Exitar is inextricably linked to the origin of the Celestials themselves, a history shrouded in mystery and cosmic myth. As one of the Space Gods, he has existed for millions, if not billions, of years, predating almost all known civilizations in the universe.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
In the prime Marvel continuity, Exitar's "origin" is less about a single event and more about his function within the ancient Celestial hierarchy. The Celestials are cosmic "gardeners" who travel the universe, seeding life on countless worlds and returning eons later in groups called "Hosts" to judge the progress of their experiments.
The First Host visited Earth a million years ago, experimenting on early hominids and creating the superhuman races of the [[eternals|Eternals]] and the genetically unstable [[deviants|Deviants]], while also embedding latent potential for mutation in baseline humanity (the X-Gene). The Second and Third Hosts returned at later periods to check on their work, often resulting in cataclysmic events like the sinking of Atlantis.
Exitar's primary story begins with the arrival of the **Fourth Host** of the Celestials on Earth. Their purpose was to render final judgment on humanity. The skyfather deities of Earth, led by [[odin|Odin]] of Asgard and Zeus of Olympus, had forged a truce to not interfere with the Celestials for a millennium. When that time expired, Odin, anticipating a negative verdict, prepared for war. He inhabited the [[destroyer_armor|Destroyer]] armor, absorbed the life forces of all Asgardians (save for [[thor_odinson|Thor]]), and wielded the Odin-Sword to confront the Host. Despite this immense power, he was effortlessly defeated, and the Celestials melted the Destroyer armor into slag.
With Earth's greatest champion defeated, [[arishem_the_judge|Arishem the Judge]] raised his thumb to signal his verdict. Though the final judgment was in Earth's favor (thanks to the intervention of [[gaea|Gaea]], the Elder Goddess of Earth, who presented twelve exceptional humans as proof of humanity's potential), the storyline established the protocol for failure. Had Arishem's thumb turned down, he would have summoned Exitar.
This exact scenario came to pass on the planet Pangoria. After Arishem judged the planet's denizens unworthy, he summoned Exitar. Arriving from an unknown corner of space, Exitar dwarfed the rest of the Fourth Host. He initiated his process of "purification," which involved creating a force-field around the planet, transmuting the unworthy populace into a perfected single being, and then terraforming the planet into a pristine, Eden-like paradise, ready for a new evolutionary cycle. It was Thor, who had been transported to Pangoria, who first witnessed Exitar's terrifying purpose firsthand. This established Exitar not as a simple planet-destroyer, but as a cosmic terraformer who "resets" failed experiments on a planetary scale.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The Marvel Cinematic Universe presents a radically different origin and purpose for the Celestials, and by extension, for Exitar's function. As revealed in the film **//[[eternals_mcu|Eternals]]//** (2021), Celestials are not merely cosmic visitors; they are born //from// planets.
In the MCU's cosmology, Celestials "seed" promising worlds with a nascent Celestial. This seed lies dormant in the planet's core, feeding on the life energy of the planet's intelligent population. For a Celestial to be born, the host planet must reach a specific population threshold. The birth process, known as the **"Emergence,"** is cataclysmic and inevitably results in the complete destruction of the host planet and all its inhabitants.
The [[eternals_mcu|Eternals]] are synthetic, android-like beings created by the Celestials and programmed with false memories of being from the planet Olympia. Their true purpose is to protect the host planet's dominant life forms from [[deviants_mcu|Deviants]] (aberrant creations that prey on intelligent life), ensuring the population can grow large enough to fuel the Emergence.
In this context, Exitar the Exterminator is not an individual who physically arrives to destroy a planet. Instead, his name appears to refer to the function of planetary destruction itself, which is the inevitable outcome of a "successful" Celestial birth. Arishem the Judge explains to Sersi that for millions of years, he has overseen this cycle. When a planet like Earth is deemed ready, the Emergence of a new Celestial (in Earth's case, the Celestial known as **Tiamut the Communicator**) serves as the "extermination" of its civilization, allowing the birth of a new cosmic god who will, in turn, help create new galaxies and worlds.
Therefore, while Exitar himself does not appear on screen, his role as the great cosmic reset button is fulfilled by the Emergence process. Arishem's final words to the Eternals, after he abducts them from Earth to judge their memories, promise that if humanity is found unworthy, he will return for judgment, implying a more direct and traditional form of extermination could still be possible.
===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality =====
As a Celestial, Exitar's power is of an order of magnitude that defies easy categorization. He is a being of pure cosmic energy contained within an immensely durable physical shell.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
  *   **Vast Cosmic Power:** Exitar wields the Power Cosmic on a scale far surpassing that of beings like the [[silver_surfer|Silver Surfer]] or even [[galactus|Galactus]] (when not fully fed). His abilities are nearly limitless and include:
    *   **Matter & Energy Manipulation:** He can create, transmute, and manipulate matter and energy at a planetary scale. His primary method of "extermination" involves converting the entire biosphere and population of a world into a more "perfect" state or simply obliterating it.
    *   **Reality Warping:** Exitar can bend the fabric of space and time, although he rarely uses this power overtly. His very presence can warp local reality.
    *   **Psionic Abilities:** While he doesn't communicate in a conventional sense, Exitar possesses immeasurable psionic power, capable of affecting the minds of entire civilizations simultaneously.
    *   **Interdimensional Travel:** He can traverse dimensions and teleport across galactic distances instantaneously.
  *   **Incalculable Strength and Durability:**
    *   **Physical Strength:** His physical strength is, for all practical purposes, limitless. He is strong enough to move planets.
    *   **Near-Invulnerability:** Exitar's Celestial armor is virtually indestructible. It has withstood the full force of a "Warrior's Madness" Thor—amped by the Odinforce—striking him with [[mjolnir|Mjolnir]] without showing any visible damage. He treated the God of Thunder's most powerful assault as little more than a gnat bite.
  *   **Godlike Stature:**
    *   Exitar's most defining physical feature is his size. He stands **20,000 feet (approximately 3.8 miles or 6,100 meters) tall**, making him significantly larger than most of his Celestial brethren, who typically stand around 2,000 feet tall. This immense size makes him a gravitational force in his own right.
  *   **Personality and Weaknesses:**
    *   **Personality:** Exitar is utterly silent, remote, and incomprehensible. He has no discernible personality, emotions, or motivations beyond fulfilling his function. He is the ultimate instrument of his creator's will, a living weapon of mass destruction.
    *   **Weaknesses:** For millennia, it was believed that Celestials had no weaknesses. However, the axe **[[jarnbjorn|Jarnbjorn]]**, a dwarven-forged weapon once wielded by Thor before Mjolnir, was enchanted to be able to pierce Celestial armor. This was the weapon the Apocalypse Twins, Uriel and Eimin, used to murder Exitar. This proved that, while absurdly powerful, even the Celestials could be killed by a specific, cosmically-empowered tool.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
While Exitar has not physically appeared, we can infer his capabilities based on the Celestials shown in //Guardians of the Galaxy// and //Eternals//.
  *   **Inferred Abilities:**
    *   **Cosmic Energy Manipulation:** Like Arishem, Eson the Searcher (seen wielding the Power Stone in a flashback), and the nascent Tiamut, Exitar would possess the ability to manipulate vast amounts of cosmic energy. Arishem alone was able to create solar flares, teleport beings across the galaxy, and communicate telepathically on a massive scale.
    *   **Planetary Destruction:** His primary function as "The Exterminator" implies he possesses the raw power necessary to destroy a planet. In the MCU, this is primarily linked to the Emergence, but a direct application of power, as seen with Eson and the Power Stone, is clearly within a Celestial's capabilities.
  *   **Comparative Analysis:**
    *   The primary difference lies in the MCU's more "biological" depiction of Celestials. They are born, they create, and they seem to have a more direct, communicative relationship with their creations (like Arishem speaking to the Eternals). The Earth-616 Celestials are far more alien and silent. If Exitar were to appear in the MCU, he might be more communicative than his comic counterpart, though his purpose would remain just as terrifying. His power level, relative to other beings in the MCU, would place him at the very top tier, far above even beings like [[thanos|Thanos]] (with the Infinity Gauntlet), [[captain_marvel_carol_danvers|Captain Marvel]], or a fully-realized [[scarlet_witch|Scarlet Witch]].
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
Exitar does not form "relationships" in the human sense. His connections are defined by his role within the cosmic hierarchy of the Celestials.
==== Celestial Hierarchy & Associates ====
  * **[[Arishem the Judge]]**
    *   Arishem is Exitar's direct superior and the most critical figure in his function. As the leader of Celestial Hosts sent to various planets, Arishem is responsible for evaluating a world's evolutionary progress. If he judges a species to be a failure, he is the one who summons Exitar to carry out the sentence. Their relationship is one of purpose: the judge and the executioner. Arishem decides; Exitar acts.
  * **[[The One-Above-All (Celestial)]]**
    *   Not to be confused with the omnipotent supreme being of the Marvel Multiverse, the One-Above-All is the leader of the entire Celestial race. Exitar, like all Celestials, ultimately operates under the ancient mandate established by their leader. While they have never been shown interacting directly, Exitar's role as the Exterminator is a fundamental part of the Celestials' grand, universe-spanning design.
  * **[[The Fourth Host]]**
    *   This was the specific group of Celestials that judged Earth during Exitar's first chronological appearance. This group included Arishem, Hargen the Measurer, Tefral the Surveyor, Nezarr the Calculator, Gammenon the Gatherer, Jemiah the Analyzer, Eson the Searcher, Oneg the Prober, and Ziran the Tester. Exitar is not a standard member of a Host but is called upon only when their work is complete and the verdict is death.
==== Notable Adversaries ====
Exitar does not possess personal enemies, but several beings have dared to stand against his cosmic might.
  * **[[Thor Odinson]]**
    *   Thor has the distinction of being one of the few beings to directly challenge Exitar and survive. During the events on the planet Pangoria, Thor, enraged at the Celestial's actions, flew directly at him. In a feat of incredible power and desperation, Thor managed to breach Exitar's outer defenses and enter the Celestial's massive head, intending to destroy his brain. While he was ultimately unsuccessful and was expelled contemptuously by Exitar, the act itself was a legendary display of courage against impossible odds.
  * **[[Apocalypse Twins (Uriel and Eimin)]]**
    *   Uriel and Eimin, the children of Archangel and the heirs to [[apocalypse|Apocalypse]]'s legacy, are Exitar's most significant adversaries because they succeeded where all others had failed: they killed him. As part of a complex plot orchestrated by [[kang_the_conqueror|Kang the Conqueror]], the twins acquired the axe Jarnbjorn. Following their decimation of Earth and the transportation of all mutants to "Planet X," a Celestial Host arrived to pass judgment. As Exitar prepared to exterminate the unworthy Earth, the Apocalypse Twins ambushed him, with Thor's corrupted future self providing the final blow with Jarnbjorn, striking Exitar in the neck and felling the cosmic giant.
==== Affiliations ====
  * **[[The Celestials]]**
    *   Exitar's sole affiliation is with his own race. He is the ultimate expression of their power and authority. Within their society, his role is specific and revered: he is the finality, the instrument that ensures the Celestials' grand experiment remains pure. The arrival of other Celestials is a cause for concern; the arrival of Exitar is a cause for absolute despair, for it means the end has come.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
Exitar's appearances are rare, but when he does appear, the event is always a universe-altering crisis.
==== The Fourth Host's Judgment on Earth (Thor Vol. 1 #387-389) ====
This storyline cemented Exitar's fearsome reputation. After Arishem and the Fourth Host defeated the Destroyer armor, Thor was taken aboard their mothership and shown a vision of what would happen if Earth failed its judgment. He was transported to the alien world of Pangoria, where he witnessed Arishem condemn the planet. The Judge summoned Exitar, and Thor watched in horror as the 20,000-foot-tall Celestial appeared and began his work. This arc was crucial as it established the mechanics of a Celestial judgment and showcased Exitar's terrifying, methodical process of planetary "cleansing." It served as a dire warning of what awaited Earth if not for Gaea's intervention.
==== The Apocalypse Twins Saga (Uncanny Avengers Vol. 1 #5-22) ====
This is arguably Exitar's most important storyline, as it contains his shocking death. As part of an elaborate temporal scheme, Kang the Conqueror manipulated the Apocalypse Twins into becoming saviors of the mutant race. They successfully destroyed Earth with Exitar's own power (channeled through Kang's technology), rescued all mutants in a space ark, and established a new world, Planet X. When the Celestials arrived to judge this act, Exitar was summoned to destroy the remnants of Earth and the twins' new world. In a stunning climax, the twins, aided by a future version of Thor controlled by them, used the Celestial-killing axe Jarnbjorn to decapitate and kill Exitar. This single act sent shockwaves through the cosmic hierarchy and became the central crisis that the [[avengers_unity_division|Avengers Unity Division]] had to prevent by using time travel to undo the twins' victory.
==== The Final Host (Avengers Vol. 8 #1-6) ====
While Exitar was not a primary actor in this event (having been resurrected off-panel after his death), this story is vital for understanding the modern lore of the Celestials. It revealed that the Celestials were not the universe's original gods. They were born from the Progenitor, the first Celestial to ever visit Earth, who was infected by a cosmic swarm called the Horde. This infection drove the Progenitor mad and led to its death, its cosmic blood and viscera seeding Earth with the potential for superpowers. The "healthy" Celestials that followed, such as Arishem and Exitar, were effectively a cosmic clean-up crew, working for eons to contain the Horde infection. When the Horde (now called the Dark Celestials) returned to Earth, the classic Celestials arrived to fight them, eventually joining with the Avengers to defeat their fallen brethren. This arc retconned the Celestials' purpose from being purely genetic experimenters to being guardians against a universe-ending infection, adding a new layer to Exitar's exterminating function.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
Due to his nature as a fundamental cosmic force, Exitar has few true variants, but his role has been interpreted differently in other realities.
  * **Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)**
    *   As detailed above, the MCU version of Exitar is a function rather than a specific, active individual. He represents the destructive outcome of the Emergence, the birth of a new Celestial from a planet's core. His name is known to Arishem and the Eternals, but his duty is performed by the nascent Celestial itself. This is a significant departure from the comics, where he is a distinct entity separate from the planet he is judging.
  * **Heroes Reborn (Earth-9602)**
    *   In the pocket universe created by Franklin Richards following the Onslaught event, Exitar and the Celestials were a major threat. In this reality, [[doctor_doom|Doctor Doom]] managed to steal the powers of [[galactus|Galactus]]. When the Celestials arrived to pass judgment on this altered Earth, Doom confronted them. He proved powerful enough to defeat and apparently destroy Exitar with a single, massive blast of cosmic energy, demonstrating the immense power he had stolen.
  * **What If? Vol. 2 #40**
    *   In the story "What If the Skrulls Succeeded in Their First Invasion of Earth?", the Earth is conquered by Skrulls who then advance technologically by studying Reed Richards's abandoned technology. When the Celestials eventually arrive for their judgment, they deem the Skrull-dominated Earth a failure. Exitar is summoned and proceeds to exterminate the planet, showing that even a galaxy-spanning empire like the Skrulls is nothing before a Celestial's final judgment.
===== See Also =====
  * [[celestials]]
  * [[arishem_the_judge]]
  * [[eternals]]
  * [[thor_odinson]]
  * [[apocalypse_twins]]
  * [[jarnbjorn]]
  * [[marvel_cinematic_universe]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((Exitar the Exterminator was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz for //Thor// #387 (1988).))
((His official height in the //Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe// is listed as 20,000 feet, making him one of the largest humanoid characters in the entire Marvel Comics multiverse.))
((Despite his immense power, Exitar's death in //Uncanny Avengers// #21 (2014) at the hands of the Apocalypse Twins using the axe Jarnbjorn marked the first time a healthy, active Celestial had been killed in mainstream continuity.))
((The concept of a weapon specifically designed to harm Celestials, Jarnbjorn, was introduced by Jason Aaron in his //Thor: God of Thunder// series, which retroactively provided the means for Exitar's later death in a different title.))
((In the MCU, the emerging Celestial from Earth is named Tiamut. In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is a primordial goddess of the ocean. This contrasts with Exitar, whose name is a simple portmanteau of "Exit" and "Terminator." ))
((The design of the Celestials, including Exitar, is a direct homage to the original concepts and art style of their creator, Jack Kirby, from his 1976 series //The Eternals//.))